The Community Innovation Survey

The Community Innovation survey (CIS), which is also known as Innovation in Irish Enterprises (IIE) is carried out every two years is a survey of innovation activities of enterprises in Ireland and other EU member states. The survey collects information about product and process innovation as well as organisational innovations and other key variables in enterprises with 10 or more persons engaged. Most questions cover new or significantly improved goods or services or the implementation of new or significantly improved processes, logistics or distribution methods.

The Business Expenditure on Research and Development Survey (BERD)

The biennial Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD) survey of enterprises measures the research and development expenditure, human resources and other research and development related topics for enterprises, with 10 or more employees, in Ireland. The survey is designed to be a census of all enterprises that are believed to be engaged in research and development activities in all business sectors of the economy.

Information Society Statistics

Information Society statistics measure a range of different characteristics about how information and communication technologies (ICT) are used in the home and in the workplace. They provide such information as - how many households and businesses use computers, how often people use computers, type of Internet connection, the reasons why people connect to the internet, the types of goods and services that people buy on-line, the value of on-line sales and purchases and barriers to e-commerce.

Information Society statistics also show the economic contribution of the ICT sector to the economy in terms of total employment and turnover. The ICT sector is made up of those enterprises who are:

1. engaged in the reproduction of recorded media;
2. manufacturing office machinery, computers, and other specialised electronic and communication equipment;
3. providing computer related service activities such as data processing, software and hardware maintenance and consultancy;
4. wholesalers of computer related products.

Sources of Statistics on the Information Society

Statistics on the Information Society are obtained from a wide range of sources. Statistics on ICT usage in the home are obtained from a special module on ICT, which is included in the Quarterly National Household Survey in the first quarter each year. An annual survey of enterprises is conducted each year to measure the extent of e-Commerce and ICT usage by businesses. Statistics on the contribution of the ICT sector to the total economy are obtained from the main CSO annual business surveys. Information relating to the telecommunications sector is provided to the CSO by ComReg.

Who uses Information Society statistics?

Information Society statistics are widely used by:

• Irish government departments, state agencies and local authorities
• the European Union and other international organisations
• all researchers with an interest in the knowledge economy
• business groups who are promoting greater ICT usage
• other special interest groups.